


We Cannot Choose Our Fate

by SpartanGuard



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-11 11:42:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15314745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpartanGuard/pseuds/SpartanGuard
Summary: Alice Jones is off to Hogwarts, and neither she nor her father are confident they’re ready for the separation it will bring. But maybe some new faces—and some old ones—will help.





	We Cannot Choose Our Fate

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by some discussion on tumblr about what house Alice would be in...and then it spiraled in my head.
> 
> There will be more, at some point, but I haven't decided if it will actually have a plot or just be scenes within a universe. Hope you like it, though!

Everything was just like Papa had described, but even better: she’d completely expected to hit the wall as she ran at it, but passed through like it was nothing, and here she was in front of the shiniest, reddest, most beautiful train she’d ever seen—nothing like those dingy passenger trains they’d taken into London from their seaside home.

Even the tiny new owl they’d bought (named Mr. Rabbit) hooted appreciatively from its cage, perched on top of her worn old (but still sturdy) trunk, emblazoned with the seal of Her Majesty’s Navy. It had been her papa’s in another life—a life he didn’t tell her much about, but said he would someday, when she was old enough.

His warm hand was on her shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. “Are you ready for this, Starfish?” She looked up over her shoulder at him, where the blue eyes she’d inherited were smiling down at her.

“I think so, Papa, but…I am a bit nervous.”

He chuckled—a deep, warm thing that always made her feel better. “Aye, I was too on my first day.” He knelt next to her, placing him a bit shorter than her but at an easier height for conversing. “But just think of all the incredible things you’ll learn, all the friends you’ll make, and all the fun you’ll have,” he assured her, tucking a wayward lock of hair behind her ear (with its pointed tips, also just like his) and giving her a big grin that deepened the wrinkles around his eyes.

“I know; I’m just…worried. What if I don’t make any friends?” There weren’t a ton of children her age in their quaint little village; just a couple rude boys and one quiet girl, all Muggles. She’d tried to befriend the girl, but in her excitement, her magic started making things float around her, and the girl had ran off, frightened.

“Trust me, love—you’ll have no problem there; you’ve definitely inherited the Jones charm,” he said, winking badly and making her giggle. “And you’ve also got the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met; they’d have to be a fool not to see that.”

She nodded, but that wasn’t all that had her concerned, and Papa could tell.

“What else, love?”

“I’m just…I’m going to miss you,” she said quietly, then bit her lip to staunch the flow of tears she could feel starting.

“Oh, my Alice,” her papa said, and immediately wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight, his hand cradling her head like it had done since she was a babe. “I’ll miss you, too, my darling.”

She hugged him as tight as she could and buried her head in his neck, unable to hold the tears anymore and likely soaking his jumper. All her life, it had just been the two of them; what was she to do without him? “Can’t you come, too, Papa?”

He laughed again, but it was watery this time. “No, my darling, I cannot; you don’t want your silly old dad around anyways.”

“Yes, I do!” she insisted.

He pulled back so he could look at her again, and used his thumb to wipe the tears from her eyes. “You’ll be having so many adventures, you won’t even notice I’m not there.”

“Of course I will! How can you even say that, Papa? And who’s going to look out for you if I’m not there?”

“I’ll be just fine, lass. But, if it helps, I brought this along.” He reached into an inner pocket of his leather jacket and pulled out his old scarf. Its bright gold and black had faded a bit with time, but he still wore it every winter. “Take this with you, and you’ll always have a piece of me nearby.”

“Papa, I couldn’t…” She knew that was a gift from her uncle Liam to her papa many years ago, long before he died; that was why her father took such care with it.

He ignored her protest and placed it in her hands. “You’ll have this, and whenever you look out at the sky at night, just remember that I’ll be seeing the same stars. We’ll never be far from each other then, not in our hearts.”

She sniffled and nodded, squeezing the scarf tight. But then another worry jumped in her head. “But what if I’m not a Hufflepuff? What if I end up in Slytherin, like Uncle Liam?”

Papa laughed again. “All these questions, one would think you’d be in Ravenclaw,” he teased. “Whatever house you end up in will be very lucky to have you. But,” he leaned in conspiratorially, “I have it on good authority that the Hat takes your choice into consideration.”

She sighed; that did make her feel a bit better. Then the train whistled, letting everyone know they only had a few minutes to board. Her papa stood, pulled his wand from the left-side pocket of his jeans, and with a quick flick made her luggage disappear.

“Where’d you put it?” she asked, shocked.

“That compartment right there,” he said, pointing to one that looked like it only had one person in it. “Now go on board, say hi, and then have so many amazing adventures.”

“I’ll write you every day, Papa,” she promised, wrapping her arms around his midsection for one last bruising hug.

“I can’t wait, Starfish,” he answered, hugging back. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She pulled back to look up at him again, but he cupped the back of her head, rested his blunted left wrist on her shoulder, and placed a tender kiss on the crown of her head.

The train whistled again, making them jump apart. “Off you go, my darling,” he said, gesturing toward the train. “Be good. And remember, talk to Prof. Nolan if you need anything; he told me he’d keep an eye on you.”

“I will!” She said. “I really do love you, Papa.” She wanted to make sure she said it enough times so that he wouldn’t forget.

“I know, my love; and I you. Now go!” He gently shoved her toward the train, and she realized she needed to get on it quickly lest it leave without her. She hopped up on the entrance to the car, but only took one step before turning around to wave at her Papa. “Bye!”

He just smiled and waved back, and she finished boarding so she could find her compartment—which wasn’t hard once she saw Mr. Rabbit in his cage above the bench.

There was still only one other person in there—another first-year, she guessed, with a mop of dark hair and his nose in a book.

“Hi!” She greeted, flopping down on the seat across from him. “I’m Alice, Alice Jones.”

He looked up and gave her a grin. “I’m Henry Swan-Cassidy; nice to meet you!” He replied, extending his hand, which she shook perhaps a bit too vigorously but he didn’t seem to mind. “Are you a first-year, too?” He asked.

“Aye.”

“Are you excited or nervous or both?”

“Definitely both.” The train gave a lurch just then as it began to pull away from the station. Oh, goodness—where was Papa? She looked out the window, searching the crowd for his dark hair (well, not all dark anymore, but he was still quite dashing if she said so herself). And there he was, smiling and waving at her from the edge of the throng of families. She enthusiastically waved back, keeping her eyes on him as the Hogwarts Express slowly pulled out of King’s Cross station.

Her arm was tired by the time he was out of sight, but she waved a bit longer for good measure—and so did Henry.

“Is this your first time away from home?” she asked.

“Yeah. You?”

“Mhmm. I’ve never been away from my papa before, but he says I’ll have fun. And I am excited to learn. But I’ll miss him.”

“Yeah, same here. I worry about my mum; she gets lonely.”

“So does my papa,” she agreed. “Isn’t your papa there?”

“No; he died when I was a baby. So it’s just me and her.”

“Well, I’ll gladly share mine with you, if you want! He’s the best,” she boasted. “He always taught me to share with people who don’t have the same things you do, and he’s got a heart filled with love—sometimes overflowing. So there’s definitely plenty to spare.”

Henry smiled. “I’d like that! I can share my mum with you, too, unless…”

“Oh, that would be splendid! I never met mine either,” she shrugged. “Papa says she didn’t want to be a mum, but he did want to be a dad, so it was an easy decision.”

“Sounds like we’ve got a deal, then!”

“Indeed we do!” she grinned back at her new friend. “Oh, is that the sweets trolley I hear?”

* * *

 

Killian Jones could see his reflection in the gleaming red sides of the train, even as far away as he was. It was hard to believe it had been so many years—nearly 30—since his first trip to Hogwarts. He wondered just how much of that small, gangly, hopeful little boy was left in the man he saw staring back at him—graying, weathered, lean, and tired.

But then he saw Alice through the window, and he knew that lost sense of optimism lived on in her. In so many ways, she was the best thing to ever happen to him, even if she only came as a result of some of his darkest days (the darkest days anyone had known, really).

She was talking animatedly to the other boy in her compartment, and it filled his heart with glee to see her connecting to someone finally; as much as he wanted to keep her close and safe in their home, he knew she needed this—and maybe he did, too.

“Jones, is that you?” A feminine voice approached, one he hadn’t heard in years. And he wasn’t sure from her tone if she was happy or not to see him.

He turned and there she was: Emma Swan, a bit older than he’d last seen her but no less beautiful or confident. “Aye, Swan; long time, no see,” he offered, with a tentative smile.

“I wondered if I’d run into you here,” she said, standing next to him and then tilting her head toward the train. “Is that your Alice?”

“Yeah, that’s her,” he answered, unable to keep the pride out of his voice. “Where’s your lad?”

“Sitting across from her.”

Killian’s eyes flew back to the window, looking at and assessing the boy. “I see the resemblance,” he concluded, a bit sadly. “He looks a lot like his dad.”

“He does,” Emma agreed. “Your daughter looks just like you, too.”

“Thank goodness,” he added, almost bitterly. He didn’t like to spend any time thinking on Alice’s mother, or the circumstances of her conception—and their consequences.

“Does she know?” Emma asked quietly.

“No,” Killian shook his head. “Does Henry?”

“No.”

An uneasy silence settled over them as the both fought off the memories of the events of 11 or so years ago, none of them pleasant and all with lasting consequences that much of the wizarding world was still recovering from in one way or another.

“Why are you even talking to me, Swan? You know what people will say,” he protested weakly, hanging his head and shoving his hand and wrist into his pockets.

“I stopped caring about that ages ago,” she answered. “And sometimes, it takes time to see things clearly, and realize you made some rash judgments.”

He looked back up at her, and the apologetic look on her face; she’d never been great with words, but he knew what she was saying nonetheless. “I…appreciate that, Emma,” he slowly thanked her.

“Plus, if I know anything about my son—and can guess anything about your daughter—it’s that we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other over the next few years,” she continued with a smirk.

“Oh, yeah?” He looked back at the train, and indeed, the two seemed awfully close. He grinned proudly at the scene.

Then the train shook as it began its departure, and once Alice’s eyes found his, he held her gaze and waved as long as possible—until his arm was tired and the train had long since disappeared into the fog of its own exhaust.

“They’ll be okay,” Emma assured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He sneakily tried to wipe a tear from his eye, until he noticed the ones brimming on her own.

“I know,” he agreed. “It’s just…”

“I know,” she too agreed.

The crowd was beginning to disperse from the platform, families regrouping and heading off together, leaving Killian, and probably Emma, feeling extra alone without his constant sidekick of these last years.

“I guess that’s the cue to leave,” she said, but he could tell she was a bit reluctant to.

“Aye, probably.” He was, too, but he wasn’t quite sure what to do next—what would be seen as proper for someone who’d been generally outcast from wizarding society.

Leave it to Emma to know what to do, though. “If you’ve got the time, would you want to grab a drink? Maybe do some catching up?”

“I…I’d love that,” he stammered. “Leaky Cauldron, or somewhere else?”

“That stuffy old place? No way. There’s a cute little Muggle diner not far from here, though.”

“Sounds perfect.”


End file.
